Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 7, Number 152, Decatur, Adams County, 26 June 1909 — Page 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT.

Volume Vi!. Number 152.

PROF. RICE IS CHOSEN School Board Select New Superintendent for the Decatur Schools RECOMMEND HIGHLY Graduate of Bloomington and Valparaiso Colleges and is Prepared Prof. Elmer E. Rice, of Bloomington, Indiana, will succeed Prof. William Beachler, who resigned recently, as superintendent of the Decatur public schools. A telegram was sent to Mr. Rice this morning notifying him of his selection for the place, and it is assured that he will be in charge of the schools next year. The school board, Messrs. Sellemeyer, Erwin and Mills made a trip to Frankfort yesterday and also to Mulberry near that city and where Mr. Rice formerly lived and served in charge of the schools for five years. They heard nothing but the highest praises and came home with their minds made up that he is the man wanted here. This morning a short session was held and it was unanimously agreed to employ Mr. Rio*. The selection is no doubt a good one. Mr. Rice is about thirtyeight years old, has a wife and daughter, the latter just ready to enter high school. He has had twenty years of experience as a teacher in the common schools, high schools and super-< vision and was highly recommended by State Superintendent Robert J. Aley, as well as by every member of the faculty of the state university and by many others who know a school man when they meet him. He has been in charge of a number of good schools over the state and has devoted much time to college advancement. He is graduate from the Valparaiso college, with two degrees, has spent the past two years at the State University at Bloomington, graduating from there this month with high honors and is now taking the postgraduate course .’there. Before his arrival here he will have received the degree of Master. He holds a life state license which he obtained by examination and comes here fitted in every way to take charge of the work. He will arrive with his family about August fifteenth. The school board' have had an innumerable number of applications for the place and the task of making a selection has not been an easy one by any means. In choosing Mr. Rice, however, they feel they have made no mistake, and that the people here will agree with them after he has been tried. The board received a message this afternoon from Prof. Rice in which he accepts the position.

CAME HOME FROM CLEVELAND Representatives of the Fullenkamp Store Buy Fall Suits for Ladies. Mr. Frank Gass and Miss Tillie Melbers of the Fullenkamp store, are at home from a trip to Cleveland and Toledo, where they purchased the fall suits and skirts for the big store here. They have purchased the best lot of goods ever shipped here, and will surprise the people of this locality when they make the showing this fall. Next Monday this store will begin its big annual mid-summer sale and will offer a great line of bargains to the public. Read their announcements in today's issue and those that will appear next week. It means a saving of money for you. o THEY MAKE A GOOD SHOWING Monroe JBtate Bank Publish Their Statement in this Issue. The Mofiroe State Bank has their statement in this issue, and it shows a total resources and liabilities at $86,461.57. The showing is a good one, one that denotes that Monroe fast coming to the front as a business center, and that the Monroe State Bank is growing with the town and succeeding in getting the confidence of all the people not only m Monroe But around that hustling little town as well. Their total deposits are 955,058.53.

SAYS IT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL Judge Dodge of Elkhart Gives Option haw a Black Eye. Goshen, Ind., June 26. —Judge James S. Dodge, of the Elkhart circuit court held the county option law of Indiana unconstitutional. William Fiedke was arrested for selling liquor without a license. He kept open after June 23, three months after the local option election by which Elkhart county was voted "dry.” State Senator Robert E. Proctor, head of the liquor forces in the last legislature, assisted by Lou W. Vail, appeared for the defendant. Mr. Vail argued that as the law was proclaimed November 20 it did not affect Fiedke, who obtained his license November 9. Robert Proctor contended that the county local option law was unconstitutional m that the title of the law does not embrace the subject of the act; that the law is not uniform in application and operation throughout the state, and that the duty of the legislature is illegally thrust on the people.

WILL APPEAL CASE D. D. StudabakerWill Again Ask a Decision from Supreme Court GREAT LEGAL BATTLE Some Facts of Interest Concerning the Fight for a Valuable Farm According to information received from W. H. Eichhorn, attorney in chief, for the defendant in the Faylor vs. Studabaker case, the big suit which was tried here and resulted in a victory for the plaintiffs, will be taken to the supreme court again. That this is one of the hardest fought ilegal battles ever fought in the state is assured from the fact that it has been tried four times beside an insanity proceeding prior to the filing of the case, but along the same lines. If the cause is taken up it means a good job for H. M. DeVoss, the court reporter as it will take weeks to prepare the evidence, the transcript in the previous appeal costing more than S6OO. The case has been in court for eight years and has been through the appellate and supreme courts. The News at Bluffton gave a complete history of the case and among the interesting facts mentioned were: Before this last trial proceeded the heirs were required to pay about $2,500 in costs before the trial proceeded but these costs will ultimately have to be paid by Studabaker if he finally loses out. It is said that he will carry the case to the higher courts again and in this case many more heavy costs will be added, for the transcript in this case alone will cost more than the first one. One of the attorneys said this morning that the total costs to date in the case run probably to $6,000, which does not include attorneys fees. The land inlitigation and proceeds during the period of litigation are estimated worth from $15,000 to $20,000 Since, the first trial a number of the witnesses have died, including Mrs. Jacob Stout, one of the heirs, Rebecca Houtz, Jacob Richey, P. M. Brown and Fred Ashbaucher and Col. J. B. Plessinger. The latter died suddenly of heart disease during one of the earlier trials at Decatur The case has occupied in triads during the four times, it has been in court about 13 v.eeks, and this last trial lacked two days of requiring four weeks. In the four trials combining 48 jurors, fortyseven have stood for the heirs and one for Studabaker. Besides the possession of the farm it is said that if the heirs once gain possession they will also have suit brought demanding of Studabaker an accounting of the proceeds of the farm during all the seven or more years he has had possession.

W. H. Fox, the deputy game commissioner said this morning that he has unearthed some violations of the state game laws in Adams county while there on a recent visit. He has practically completed his evidence and will file affidavits in a few days, when he makes his next trip east. Mr. Fox looks after five counties Wells, Allen, Adams, Huntington and Grant.--Bluffton News.

GIVEN A DIVORCE Mrs. Howard Gould Will Be Provided For HER ALLOWANCE She Will Get Thirty-Six Thousand Dollars a Year New York, June 26.—Justice Dowling Mrs. Howard Gould a separation from her husband and alimony of $36,000 a year. Mrs. Gould asked for a separation and $250,000 alimony. Mrs. Gould in her direct testimony, made a general denial of all the allegations of intoxication and improper conduct of which she had been accused by the witnesses for the defense. She explained her friendliness with Dustin Farnum, the actor, in that she simply desired to solic’t his aid in some of her plans to return to the stage after she and Mr. Gould had separated in July, 1906. On her direct examination in rebuttal late yesterday Mrs. Gould declared that many incidents related by witnesses for the defense had been made up out of whole cloth or else highly colored Her voice choked as she told how her husband “quit’' her after upbraiding her before the servants, and she was on the point of breaking down as she told of how after she had lost all her happiness and the responsibilities had been taken from her she thought seriously of going back on the stage or acquiring a theater in order to find something to occupy her time. In regard to the question of alimony the court said he had only the power to fix the sum he thought proper for the defendant to pay the plaintiff in order to allow her to enjoy all the reasonable comforts befitting her station in life. This sum Justice Dowling said he would fix at $3,000 a month, or $36,000 a year. “I would rather have the vindication than the money," said Mrs. Gould, as soon as Justice Dowling finished his decision. “That's why I insisted upon a public trial. I guess people know now what I have had to put up with. This verdict is worth more to me than any money could ever give me.”

MR. BURTON DEAD Was Best Known Eastern Traveling Salesman to Make this City DIED LAST NIGHT Had Sold Niblick and Company for Nearly Fifty Years Continuously The Niblick family here were notified this morning by wire of the death of Mr. I. R. Burton, at his home in Philadelphia. The message brought sadness to the hearts of a number |of Decatur people, for he was perhaps the best known of any eastern traveling salesman who made this territory. His first trip here was made more than forty years ago, it being necessary for him to drive here from Fort Wayne, there being no railroad into the city. He has come here continuously every year since and usually several times a year. For two or three years he has been suffering from gout and has been quite feeble, though he continued to travel,, making a trip here only a few months ago. He represented the Miller, Bain, Beyer & Company ,of Philadelphia, and for nearly half a century had sold Niblick & Company here. A few days ago blood poison set in, superinduced by the ailment from he was a sufferer, and the end came last night. He was an old bachelor, his age being near the seventy mark. The funeral services will be held next Tuesday at Philadelphia. o Miss Edna Schlosser, of Defiance, Ohio, returned to her home after a short visit with Mr and Mrs. Ed Ashbaucher and family.

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday Evening, June 26, 1909.

BUILT IN SIXTY DAYS. Bluffton and Geneva Line to Be Pushed to Completion. General Manager L. C. Justus, of the Bluffton, Geneva & Celina Traction company said this morning that bids will be received next week for the contracts for grading on the newline between this city and Genevt. He said that the work will likely be apportioned into two contracts in order that the construction can be carried on more expeditiously, and it is the expectation to have the line completed inside of sixty days. Mr. Justus says that practically all of the right-of-way has now been signed up, there being only a few instances where the complete contracts have not yet been filled out. There is one condition existing that probably is without parallel in railroad construction work, that it, if it goes through as now appears apparent, and this is in the fact that it will not be necessary to enter condemnation proceedings in order to secure a single piece of right-of-way. Many were so anxious to get the road that they have donated right-of-way. Most roads encounter cases where a case in court is the only way they can get througn. —Bluffton News.

REVISION UPWARD End of Tariff Debate in the Senate is in Sight THE CONFERENCE Many of the Exhorbitant Rates Already Agreed to Washington, June 26. —The chairman of the senate finance committee is not too busy with his scheme to raise additional revenue by means of special taxation to see that the business of pushing up rates goes steadily on. Within the last three days and up to the time the senate met todav rates have been increased on hides, coal, lumber, shoes, leather, pineapples (and many other items of Importance, The progressive Republicans have opposed every one of these increases, but with as man}’ as one-half the Democratic senators voting with the "boss of the senate ’ when votes were needed the downward revisionists were unable to do more than enter their protests and votes. Only a few important rates

remain to be considered. Most of them will be increased. With the end of the work on the schedules in sight students of the legislation are beginning to compare the senate bill once more with the house bill, and the two bills with the present tariff law. A study of the bills does not offer much encoiAgement to those senators who had hoped that, maybe, something substantial would be accomplished in conference, with the assistance of the president,, who has said all along that when the bill went to conference he intended to “get busy." Approximately 70 per cent, of the duties will be fiixed when the bill goes to conference; that is to say, the senate will have accepted that per cent, of the rates set out in the p ayne bill, and where there is no disagreement there can be no consideration by the conference committee. It is pointed out that if the house conferees should bring the senate conferees to agree to the house action on all the disputed .rates the bill, when completed, would be a downward revision measure. Unquestionably the senate leaders intend to yield on some of the rates, but no one has any expectation that they will give up more than one-half the advances that have been made. Some well-informed onlookers believe Senator Aldrich’s willingness to have a corporation tax levied may be accounted for by his anxiety to hold prohibitory rates or many of the important items in the bill. The fact that since he seemed to be assured of enough votes to put through the corporation tax he has been pushing up duties is regarded as significant. o Miss Agnes Cline spent yesterday with her niece, Mrs. W. E. Smith, j

HE WANTS FIGURES Governor Marshall Directs A. W. Butler to Prepare Census OF STATE PRISONERS To Ascertain How Many Immigrants Have Committed Crimes Elsewhere Indianapolis, June 26.—Governor Marshall has directed Amos W. Butler .secretary of the Board of State Charities, to take a census of the population of the state’s penal institutions, with a view of ascertaining how many prisoners committed felonies within three years of their admission to the country. Secretary Butler, it is understood, will begin the work at once. Under the federal laws immigrants committing felonies within three years of their admission to this country must be deported. The theory of the law is that immi*

grants found guilty of a felony within three years are of criminal tendencies, and, therefore, undesirable citizens, n a recent census of the penal institutions of New York a total of 319 were reported for deportation to the bureau of commerce and tabor. The board of state charities is in charge of all the state's penal and benevolent institutions. There is no way of estimating how many, if any, of the inmates of the Indiana institutions may be subject to the deportation act. It has been suggested to Governor Marshall that a census of the poor asylums and the hospitals for the insane may disclose a number of epileptics subject to deportation. The immigration laws require that any entering the country who are found to have been afflicted with the disease prior to departure from the native country, shall be deported. A recent case of this kind was brought to light in Parke county. An investigation has been set on foot by Secretary Butler to obtain facts in this instance and arrange for the deportation. GLASS AND LEAD Are Ingredients of Phony Half Dollars in Circulation in Decatur SHOVING THE QUEER One Merchant Took in Three Yesterday—Look Good When New Look out for counterfeit half dollors. Some one seems to be pushing them out in this city, and if you are not careful you will have several of the worthless coins in your possession before you know It. Sev-

eral business men have complained about the matter, and one took in three yesterday. The coin is a splendid representation so far as appearances go, being a correct imitation, apparently made from a perfect mold, but when you pick one of the pieces up, you notice at once that it is lighter than the regulation half dollar piece. They are of the specie, which contain an amount of glass to give them the required ring and when new are very hard to detect. It is thought that some one here is doing a lively business on this line for when the coins first come in they are bright and new as though they had come from the mint, but in a day or two they have lost all their color of silver and are a dirty old lead hue. Several business men are supplied with these souvenirs, but the banks say they have not been troubled with them. Rev. Freeman Taylor, aged 94 years, has been continuously pastor of the “Hard Shell'’ Baptist churcn at Lafountaine, Ind., for 53 years. He is I hale and hearty and still preaches. I

THE EVANSVILLE STRIKE. The Governors Visit May Pave Way for Settlement. Evansville, Ind., June 26. —Governor Thomas !<• Marshall has come and gone, but the street car strike is still on and the traction company and the union men are as far apart as ever. Though many of the governor's friends say he helped matters by coming here there are some who say the coming did no good. In his advice to the striking carmen Governor Marshall held out no hope for them and said he did not have; the power to help them in the least. His words were disappointing ts the hot-headed union leaders, who had become imbued with the notion that the governor would come here and with a wave of the hand tell the traction company that it would have to settle the strike by taking back the men now out of work. This he did not do but in his brief remarks he said the strikers owed something to the community, and that by prolonging the strike they were simply hurting themselves and their friends."

FORTY-FIVE DAYS Was What Dan Straub Got at a Late Police Court Session Last Night BEAT HIS CHILDREN And Threatened the Life of His Baby, Displaying a Razor—Was Fined Dan Straub will peak from between the bars at the Adams county jail until nearly fair time, as the result of a session of police court held for his especially benefit at nine o’clock last night. For some time Dan has been causing trouble for his wife, who has refused to live with him for a year past, and when he gets a “bun” on he goes to his wife’s home and abuses her or the children. Last night he was feeling just right and going home, picked up his little child which he beat with a heavy strap and then pulling a razor threatened to cut the baby’s throat. Marshal Butler was notified and arrested the inhuman father, and he demanding an immediate trial, was accommodated. After hearing the evidence, Mayor France fined Dan five and costs and gave him thirty days in jail, amounting to all about forty-five days, during which time Mrs. Straub will not have to worry about him trying to kill them. He was very angry at the result and gave notice that he would appeal to a higher court, which the mayor told him he could do after his release.

FINALLY DECIDED TO MARRY Indiana Couple Lived Together Illegally for Many Years. Lebanon, Ind., June 25. —After living together as husband and wife for twenty-seven years at their home ii Thorntown, D. H- Rammel, 73 years

old, and Mrs. Lucinda P. Rammel, 75, were nlarrifd yesterday. They applied for a marriage license yesterday and Mrs, Rammel gave the clerk her name as Rammel. The couple would tell nothing about themselves other than that they were of no blooded relation. At Thorntown they at first stated they had nothing to give to the public concerning their strange actions in getting the marriage license. Yesterday, however, a romance was revealed which only the children of Mrs. Rammel knew besides herself and husband. According to the story the romance began in 1882 at Mechanicsburg, near Lebanon. Rammel and Mrs. Rammel then the wife of a man by the name of Black, eloped to Ohio. Mrs. Rammel left five children in the care of the husband. In Ohio, according to a statement of Mr. Rammel they contracted a common law- marriage. Mrs. Rammel's first husband died in 1888. Before he died he secured a divorce from his wife. The couple then moved to Thornton, near their former home and have resided there since. Four of Mrs. Rammel’s children, of which her former husband was the father, are still living, and it was through their efforts that the couple i was married yesterday according to I law-. The marriage caused consider- t able talk at Thorntown, as the people t never had a suspicion that the cou- 1 pie had not been married long ago. s

Price Two Cents

NARROW ESCAPE Six People Were in George Tricker’s Barn When Lightning Struck It NO SERIOUS INJURIES Irvin Acker of This City Was One—Frank Railing Received Shock Six people had an almost miraculous escape from serious injury or death last evening, between six and seven o’clock when the big bank barn on the George Tricker farm, east of the city two miles, was struck by lightning. When the storm came up, two rigs, in one of which was Irvin Acker of this city and two lads, and in the other Frank Railing and two

boys named Nidlinger and Miller, were caught and asked pennisssion to drive into the barn. This was granted, of course, and Mr. Tricker went out and insisted that the people go into the house. They preferred to remain in the barn, however, and a few minutes later a bolt of lightning hit the comb, tore off the gable and flashing down through the big building riddled some of the heavy timbers. The men and boys were all shocked of course, but none of them were seriously hurt. Mr. Railing was rendered unconscious for a few minutes, but soon revived and was able to go home after the rain was over, while the rest of the people felt no bad effects. Mr. Railing said it seemed that some one had struck him a terrificjflow on the top of the head. The damage to the barn was slight. Immediately after the stroke which did the work, Mr. Tricker renewed his invitation for the people to come into the house and they responded without any hesitancy. < - o ACQUITTED ON MURDER CHARGE Remarkable Record in the Pushing of Murder Trial. Marion, Ind., Jun? 25. —Shortly after 9 o'clock last evening the jury rendered a verdict of acquittal in favor of William P. Gray, charged with the murder ot his brother-in-law, Aionzo Bellville, at the Upland depot on June 1. Immediately after the verdict was read Gray shook hands with each juryman and then went to the home of one of his friends for the evening. It took the lawyers six hours to argue the case and Judge Paulus one hour in his instructions to the jury. The jury was out two hours before coming to a decision. There were few people in the court room at the time the jury returned, as a verdict was not expected so soon.

RESOURCES OVER A MILLION The Old Adams County Bank Make a Statement of Their Condition. The Old Adams County Bank comes up smiling with a total of resources of over one million dollars, the showing being in keeping with much that, has lately been printed about the greatest little city on the map. Their deposits are given at $793,947.05, and their total resources and liabilities at s|, The statement is one that causes large chunks of pride to trickle down the spinal column of every loyal rooter for the best interests of Decatur.

5 HAVE LANDED AT OLD QUEBEC 3 Mr. and Mrs. O. P. Edwards Homeward Bound After European Trip. » Mr. and Mrs. John Niblick are in receipt of a telegram from their daughter, Mrs. O. P. Edwards, from ■ Quebec, where they landed yesterday afternoon, after a two months' trip through Europe. They have had a most delightful journey, and will still further enjoy themselves by taking their time returning here. They will travel up the St. Lawrence river, the Thousand Islands trip, arriving here some time next week.